As seen in the photos above, this pathologically deformed Otodus tooth is quite interesting in its traits. Twisted and stunted, the labial side enamel also displays serious deformation in its development. Feeding wear on the tip means the shark had to tolerate this wacky tooth for quite some time.

Pathologically deformed fossils have a devout collector following all their own. They are an interesting branch of fossil collecting and can provide insight and information into the developmental problems with prehistoric creatures.

This fossilized shark tooth once graced the ferocious jaws of a large shark now extinct, called the Mackeral Shark, otherwise known as Otodus obliquus. This creature is thought to be at the heart of the White shark family tree and is found in hard sandstone rock matrix in the phosphate mines in Khouribga, Morocco. The Mackeral Shark was king of the Paleocene seas 60 million years ago and is the prehistoric ancestor of the modern Great White Shark. The features of these teeth are common to all Otodus species, a massive root and large separate cusplets flanking the much larger, and heavy center crown. The characteristics indicate a highly developed and efficient hunter-killer.